The World Boxing Council has approved a title fight between Sonny Boy Jaro and veteran world champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam who was named WBC “Fighter of the Decade” only recently.

WBC president Don Jose Sulaiman told the Manila Standard had approved the title fight on condition that both Pongsaklek and Jaro who is managed by former boxer and current promoter Aljoe Jaro “commit themselves to make theitr next fight a mandatory against Japan’s Toshiyuki Igarashi, winner of a final elimination bout” which was mandated by the WBC at its convention in Las Vegas last December.

The promoter of the Sonny Boy Jaro-Pongsaklek title fight will be Virat who, according to Sulaiman had previously objected to Pongsaklek fighting Igarashi before another voluntary defense for which he picked No. 8 ranked Jaro.

The fight is scheduled to take place in Chonburi, Thailand on March 2.

A solid puncher the 29 year old Jaro is the reigning IBF Pan Pacific flyweight interim champion after having won the title with a 4th round TKO over Ric Megrino on June 18, 2011. He has a record of 32-10-5 with 22 knockouts while the 34 year old Pongsaklek has a record of 83-3- 2 with 44 knockouts.

Among Jaro’s losses was a 1st round knockout at the hands of then champion Giovanni Segura in a WBA light flyweight title fight on November 21, 2009. Segura subsequently moved up to flyweight and lost by an 8th round TKO to Brian Viloria.

Jaro who loves to trade punches early also lost by a 2nd round TKO to Oscar Ibarra in a WBC Silver championship on October 30, 2010 after being dropped in rounds one and two.

Pongsaklek won the title with a 12 round majority decision over Japan’s Koki Kameda on March 27, 2010 in Tokyo and retained the crown with a comfortable win over former champion Edgar Sosa of Mexico on October 21, 2011. In his last fight the Thai southpaw retained his title with 1st round technical draw when unheralded Japanese youngster Hirofumi Mukai suffered a nasty cut following an accidental clash of heads forcing referee Guido Cavalleri to stop the fight after only 47 seconds.

Jaro’s manager/promoter and trainer Aljoe Jaro is committed to personally handling his fighter’s preparation for the March 2 title fight and is likely to work on Jaro’s defense as well as restraining him from going all-out for a KO early in the fight and leaving himself open for a big counter which is what happened in the Segura fight.

Jaro is definitely the harder puncher compared to Pongsaklek but the ageing Thai champion has been through several ring wars and is known for his patience and technical skill in out-boxing his opponents to win.